The former Bundesliga coach Ernst Middendorp has announced his resignation as coach of the third division relegated SV Meppen after just three games this season. The 64-year-old announced this on Wednesday evening after the 2-1 defeat at SSV Jeddeloh II in the North Regional Football League.
As a reason, Middendorp told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”: “I have informed the team that I am not suitable for getting amateurs to run. We basically fail to behave professionally. this is not my world I don’t work 15 hours a day to ultimately animate anything. I’m not an animator.”
Club is “completely surprised”
SV Meppen confirmed the resignation of its prominent coach on Thursday. According to a statement from the association, the board was “completely surprised” by the decision.
Nobody expected that, said sports director Heiner Beckmann. For the time being, the previous Middendorp assistant Steffen Puttkammer will lead the training of the Meppen team. The 34-year-old was already a player at the club from 2017 to 2023.
Middendorp coached Arminia Bielefeld three times in his career and led the club from the regional league to the Bundesliga in the 1990s. After stints in South Africa, China and Thailand, among others, he took over SV Meppen in March, but was unable to prevent relegation from the third division despite a strong final spurt.
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In the summer he also took on the duties of sports director. He put together the squad he criticized so severely when he left.
